Less than a week after New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll benched sixth-year starting quarterback Daniel Jones last season, the team honored his request for a release.
Jones then signed with the Minnesota Vikings to finish out the 2024 season before betting on himself to win the starting job with the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason.
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So when Daboll benched veteran Russell Wilson for rookie Jaxson Dart this week, it was only natural Wilson was asked if he’d request a release or a trade from the organization.
“No, I’m focused on helping this team win,” the 36-year-old Wilson said. “I’m focused on helping Jaxson. I’m focused on me getting ready to be the best version of me today on a Wednesday.
“I want to be here. I love this organization. I love the process of it all. I love the guys in the locker room. I’m not giving up on us in this season. I don’t know any other thought, any other thing than finding a way through. And sometimes you got to climb under the wall. Sometimes you got to fight through it. Sometimes there’s battles and things that you face in life or in sport, and I’m going to help lead the way in every way I can to make sure that we figure that out.”
Wilson, a 10-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champ known best for his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Giants back in March.
The Giants then took Dart in April’s draft. They selected the former Ole Miss star No. 25 overall, adding him to a quarterback room that already included not only Wilson but also charismatic veteran Jameis Winston.
Wilson was quickly named the starter, however, that designation was removed Tuesday, two days after New York slumped to 0-3 with a 22-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Week 3 defeat went from ugly to unwatchable late in the fourth quarter when Wilson chucked three red-zone overthrows — the first of which resulted in an intentional grounding penalty — turning the ball over on downs and dashing any last hopes in MetLife Stadium.
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Wilson finished a meager 18 of 32, piling up a mere 160 passing yards and throwing two interceptions along the way. His performance was a far cry from his 450-yard, three-touchdown outing the previous week in Dallas, where he completed seven passes of 20-plus air yards during a 40-37 overtime loss.
Wilson made it clear Wednesday that he’s not discouraged about this Giants team, which he believes is a few plays away from boasting a different record, and that he’s not discouraged about himself.
“I’m not done,” he told reporters. “I’ve got so much belief in myself and know what I’m capable of. I believe I was able to show it, especially on the road in Dallas and everything else. I know that I can help this football team, if that comes up.”
Positivity is something Wilson’s hardly ever lacked during his 14-season NFL career, whether he was shining in Seattle, struggling with the Denver Broncos or leapfrogging Justin Fields on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ depth chart last season.
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He’s got positivity in spades in New York as well.
Wilson stressed the importance of him focusing on controlling his attitude and gratitude. He talked about loving the game and its process, which he said he respects.
“I think the last thing I’ll say about it is just, life is about response,” he said. “I went to the children’s hospital on Tuesday. When you go, and you see kids fighting for something that is maybe outside of what they can handle at times, it gives you a lot of perspective.
“So for me, life is about response, and I know I’m going to respond in every way in the right way every day. And that’s all I know.”
